Comparing Verdicchio of the Marche wine region

The Marche wine region in Italy is one of the regions I've discovered the least due to the lack of accessibility of wines.  Studying for this Italian wine exam has really opened my eyes to the world of Italian wines even further and has made it so much more exciting with the boat loads of information I have to share with you.  I've had people ask me “Don't you ever run out of material to write about?” It's hard for me not to laugh as I'll never run out of material to share with you with the amount of grapes and wineries all throughout Italy that are dying for us to explore them.

Garofoli winery compliments of www.garofolivini.it

At a recent tasting I sampled a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superior from the Garofoli winery of the Marche region. The Garofoli winery is run by brothers Gianfranco and Carlo and the 5th generation to the Garofoli winery, their children Beatrice, Gianluca and Caterina.   Many of the missions and goals of the wineries that I've become acquainted with is to always introduce modern technologies in winemaking by trying to stay true to the traditions of the winemaking held within the family for years or even centuries. This philosophy is true also of the Garofoli family.

The Garofoli family ~ Compliments of www.garofolivini.it

The Garofoli winery, that began in 1871, is a large producer averaging about 2 million bottles annually that sources grapes from their 4 vineyard sites as well as grape growers they have partnered with for years that provide them with grapes for their production.

Garofoli vineyards ~ Compliments of www.garofolivini.it

There are two DOCG's of the Marche wine region producing Verdicchio wines: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva and the Verdicchio di Matelica.  The reason why the wine I'm sharing with you today isn't a DOCG is because it's specifically not a riserva.  There are some differences between the verdicchio wines produced in both of these areas.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi

• Rounder and softer 
• More approachable 
• Longer aged  
• Close to the sea

Verdicchio di Matelica

• About 1/10 the size of Castelli di Jesi 
• Sharper and higher acidity 
• Rich in minerals due to an ancient sea bed

Found in the inland valley on the slopes of the Apennines
The 2012 Garofoli Macrina Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore I sampled is vinified in one of the 2 Garofoli locations, Serra de' Conti, but aged in their winery at Castelfidardo.  The Verdicchio grapes from the classico DOC area of Jesi come from their vineyard site, Cupo delle Lame in the comune of Montecarotto.   This wine was bright and fresh. On the palate it's florally with ripe exotic fruit along with apples and peaches combined with minerality. It's a medium bodied wine.

What wineries have you discovered from this region or any favorite wines you'd like to share?

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